Written Answers Wednesday 20 July 2005

Scottish Executive

Careers Scotland

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what careers advice provision is available for young people with learning difficulties, particularly during the transition between school and further and higher education and also between further and higher education and work.

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what careers advice provision is available for disabled people, particularly in the transition between school and further and higher education and also between further and higher education and work.

Allan Wilson: Careers Scotland has partnership agreements with each secondary school and college in Scotland to provide career information, advice and guidance to all young people on education, training and employment opportunities. This service is designed and delivered to meet the differentiated needs of individuals, and includes specialist support for those who have additional support needs. Specialist advisers continue to have a responsibility to college students at pre-exit and post college stages.

  The higher education careers services provide free services for all higher education students, including specialist services for disabled people, offering pre-entry information and guidance to assist with the transition from school to higher education. Services continue to be available to graduates for one year after graduating.

Housing

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-16265 by Allan Wilson on 9 May 2005 and in light of the fact that none of the CORGI council members with a Scottish mandate and very few members from the rest of the United Kingdom were consulted prior to the introduction of CORGI’s Gaswork Notification Scheme, whether it is still the Executive’s intention not to intervene on behalf of small business and trades people in Scotland to ensure that the needs of Scotland are fully taken into account by UK-wide quangos.

Allan Wilson: The Executive has been liaising with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) about developments and I know that Lord Hunt, the UK minister responsible for the Health and Safety Commission and Executive (HSC/E), has recently written to The Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation (SNIPEF) encouraging it to make good use of the position it holds on the CORGI Council to raise the matters that concern the federation. He has also confirmed that it is not for ministers or the HSC/E to intervene between CORGI and its members. My officials will continue their contact with HSE on this matter.

Land Purchase

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the launch of the National Forest Land Scheme, what estimate has been made of any increased demand for funding from the Scottish Land Fund for community forest purchases additional to other community buy-outs before (a) 2007 and (b) 2011.

Nicol Stephen: Community take up of the opportunity to purchase land under the National Forest Land Scheme is difficult to predict with any accuracy, as is any subsequent application for public assistance in funding purchase.

  The Executive is aware of a small number of community groups – less than 10 - who might consider purchasing land under the new scheme.

  As with other community buy-outs the Big Lottery Fund Scottish Land Fund is only one source of potential public and private sector assistance available to communities considering land purchase. Decisions on awards from the fund are made by the Scottish Land Fund Committee on a case-by-case basis.

Land Purchase

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the launch of the National Forest Land Scheme, what estimate has been made of any increased demand for funding from the Scottish Land Fund from conservation and cultural heritage bodies wishing to make forest purchases additional to other community buy-outs before (a) 2007 and (b) 2011.

Nicol Stephen: Under the provisions of the National Forest Land Scheme recognised environmental, cultural heritage or recreational non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have the opportunity to buy land in certain circumstances.

  The Big Lottery Fund Scottish Land Fund can only consider applications for assistance from community bodies. NGOs wishing to purchase national forest land under the new scheme are not eligible for assistance from the Big Lottery Fund Scottish Land Fund.

Nuclear Power

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it (a) has had and (b) plans to have with (i) current UK nuclear operators, (ii) overseas nuclear power operators and (iii) investors in respect of conditions which would be necessary for them to consider constructing or financing new nuclear power plants in Scotland.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive has neither had nor planned any discussions with nuclear operators or investors on the construction or financing of new nuclear power plants in Scotland.

Tax

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty’s Government regarding the overpayment of child tax credit to families in Scotland.

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussion it has had with Her Majesty’s Government in order to ensure that no parent or child will bear any hardship as a result of overpayment of child tax credits in Scotland.

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty’s Government to establish whether any student parents in Scotland have received any overpayment of child tax credits.

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty’s Government to establish how many student parents in Scotland have received any overpayment of child tax credits.

Malcolm Chisholm: Tax and benefits are a reserved matter. However, the Scottish Executive is in regular discussions with Her Majesty’s Government on a variety of matters including tax credits.

Tax

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to ensure that children entitled to free school meals and who switched from income support to child tax credit do not lose their entitlement to free school meals as a result of overpayment of child tax credits.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive is aware of the potential difficulties around child tax credit and free school meal entitlement as a result of an overpayment, and is currently considering how best to address these difficulties, in partnership with local authorities and other agencies, in order to ensure children who are entitled to free school meals receive them.

Voluntary Organisations

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the possible impact on voluntary organisations of receiving funding in arrears instead of in advance.

Malcolm Chisholm: Payment in arrears is in accordance with the Scottish Public Finance Manual and is intended to avoid the spending of public funds in advance of need, which is why this arrangement is preferred. There is flexibility, however, as the manual allows alternative grant payment arrangements to reduce the risk of financial difficulties for voluntary organisations. Accordingly, no assessment has been made of the impact on voluntary organisations of the Scottish Executive paying grants in arrears.